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Land Rover Discovery Overview

The Land Rover Discovery 2017, the much- awaited SUV, has finally hit the Indian shores. The new design of the Discovery is not as tough and rugged as the old Discovery, but feels really futuristic with that box look being given new curvy edges, sharp looks and a blocky back. The new LED headlamps give it the look of a Range Rover. This new 7- seater Land Rover Discovery gets a completely new aluminum monocoque frame, making it lighter and hence making it more efficient. The SUV still drives like a Discovery, not like a Range Rover or Range Rover sport in any way; it’s all smooth and easy to go with minimal engine noise getting inside the cabin.

Land Rover Discovery Look

Measuring nearly 5 meters in length and riding 1,846mm off the ground, the new Discovery is one of the largest vehicles money can buy. And now with all its Range Rover-like styling cues, it no longer looks utilitarian or old-school. As against the old car’s top-heavy stance and boxy lines, the 2017 model looks different but is still unmistakably a Discovery. After all, it retains some of the design features like the distinctive stepped roofline and a rather high waistline.

At the back you will find a new single-piece tailgate design, which has replaced the previous horizontally split configuration. The taillights, too, are now stacked horizontally and look particularly sporty. Lastly, the offset rear number plate is a clear nod to previous-gen Discos; however, we aren’t too fond of the layout simply because it looks rather odd without a tailgate mounted spare wheel – something that the original model came with. All in all, the new car seems like a design revolution for the Discovery family – the taut bodywork highlights the enhanced volume and the more contemporary look pretty nicely.

Land Rover Discovery Comfort

Like the exterior, the new Discovery’s cabin benefits from the general layout and design of the Range Rover and the Sport. You get the same well layered albeit slab-like dash with a huge centre console and a snazzy-looking steering wheel. And while all the controls feel hard-wearing and durable, the air vent plastics and climate control switches could be better finished.

The Discovery’s cabin is immensely practical with multiple usable storage spaces. Besides the usual array of glove boxes and door pockets, the Disco gets a large storage box behind the rotary gear selector. There’s even a fairly big cool box under the front armrest which is a really neat feature. Lastly, there’s the hugely configurable seating arrangement in the 7-seater variant as all three rows are electrically adjustable. They feature anti-pinch and stall detection tech – if the seat is folding and it detects something, it will stop and then unfold to avoid crushing the item. Alternatively, if the seat is folded flat with an item stored on top, the seatback will not raise.

We absolutely love the high and mighty driving position and the excellent all-round visibility. As for the seat comfort, the front seats are massive and offer immense side support and even under-thigh support – they are large enough to keep you comfortable during long hauls. Similarly, there is plenty of room at the back, with a rear bench that is broad and spacious enough to accommodate three adults easily. Although the rear bench is set a tad bit low, it is superbly contoured and the low seating translates to plenty of headroom. Sadly, this new model cannot match its predecessor when it comes to the third-row seating comfort – the pair of seats is smaller and to make matters worse, there’s noticeably less thigh support. Mind you, the Discovery still has one of the best third row seats but you end up feeling short-changed because the previous car’s third row was a whole lot more accommodating.

The user interface for the 10-inch infotainment screen appears basic in comparison to some of the rivals, however, there’s no denying the quality output from the 14-speaker premium audio system. As for the rest of the features, the Discovery is fully loaded and comes with adaptive LED headlights, adaptive cruise control, lane keep assist, 360-degree parking, a head-up display, 4-zone climate control, interior mood lighting and a tonne of safety tech. However, we would like to add that a lot of features from the spec list are optional extras.

Land Rover Discovery Gearbox

Featuring a new aluminium chassis and body panels made from similar materials, the Discovery has managed to shed nearly 480kg over its predecessor. However, at over 2.1 tonnes for this petrol-powered version, it is still a heavy car. Under the long hood sits a supercharged 3-litre V6 developing 340bhp and 450Nm of torque. It’s got more than enough punch to get the Disco up to speed and keep it there without struggling. The surprisingly effortless acceleration is aided by the brilliant 8-speed ZF gearbox that delivers creamy smooth yet quick gearshifts. The new Discovery isn’t as nice or sporty to drive as say a BMW X5 but there is no doubting the fact that it behaves noticeably better around corners compared to its predecessor – the steering is less vague and the whole car is more reactive to steering inputs. Make no mistake, the Disco still rolls a lot and feels spongy around corners but it completely demolishes bad roads. For more info on Land Rover Discovery check Emikolo

It has an inherent ability to iron out even the sharpest of bumps and rutted imperfections with ease. Better still, the jolts typically experienced in full-size traditional SUVs are next to none. All in all, the Discovery remains thoroughly composed at low speeds but at highway speeds, there is constant vertical movement and that wallowy feeling that air suspension-equipped cars are bundled with. A lot of the buyers are unlikely to take their Discovery off-road, but it is reassuring to know that it is more than capable at dealing with rough stuff. As standard, you get a two-speed transfer box that offers selectable high and low range gears. The system offers a standard 50/50 torque split between front and rear wheels, but uses sensors to distribute torque between the wheels depending on slippage. It’s a ‘shift on the move’ system which allows the driver to swap between high and low ratios without having to stop the vehicle, at speeds of up to 60kmph.

Land Rover Discovery Riding

The Land Rover Discovery reviews give a good grade to the performance and handling of the car. The engine is responsive and doesn’t disappoint you when the gas pedal is grounded. The diesel version goes from 0-100 kmph in 8.1 seconds with a top speed 208 kmph and the petrol version hits the 100 kmph mark a second faster than the diesel one, with a top speed being 7 kmph faster than that of the diesel one. Also, the handling has been improved because of the weight loss; it’s not that sharp atin the corners like Audi Q7 but good enough for an SUV of this size. Also, Land Rover reckons that this Discovery goes further off-road than any other car that they’ve made before, with water wading capacity of 900 mm, Terrain Response 2 (not present in the S variant) and off-road system that can take it to places.

Land Rover Discovery Safety

The Land Rover Discovery features really good brakes with one of the best braking systems that allows safe and sound sudden halts, also housing a lot of safety features, like Electronic air suspension Stop/Start technology, Hill Descent Control (HDC) Anti-lock Braking System (ABS), Electric Power Assisted Steering (EPAS), Electronic Traction Control (ETC), Hill Start Assist, Dynamic Stability Control (DSC), Roll Stability Control (RSC), Electric Parking Brake (EPB), Emergency Brake Assist (EBA ), Electronic Brake-Force Distribution (EBD), Gradient Acceleration Control (GAC), front side impact airbags, side curtain airbags and a trip computer. All these features are not available in the basic variants. These safety features are enough to keep you and your family safe and sound.

Land Rover Discovery Bottomline

The 2017 Land Rover Discovery isn’t the most luxurious full-size SUV and at Rs 1.30 crores (on-road, Mumbai) for the top-spec diesel version, it’s certainly not cheap either. However, if you value practicality and long-distance cruising you will surely appreciate the Disco’s massive interior, flexible seating option and effortless performance. So if you are after a well-built traditional SUV with a genuine off-road ability instead of a glitzy and unashamedly road-focused SUV, the new Discovery makes for a worthy choice.